5 truths that advertising taught me about life!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Yuveline (UV)
24 Comments

Well, I am neither an ad veteran nor an award-winning
copywriter but I am this: 'A girl who grew up watching ads more than TV shows
and dreamt of working in an ad agency and making ad films that will be played at
least a dozen times' (well, I got more than a dozen thousand hits for some of my ads on YouTube, guess
that counts).

I won’t say I have all the experience and pompousness to
tell you that these are the most important truths in advertising life but I do have
the courage to tell you that these are the five most essential truths (there
may be more but for now, these prove sufficient for adulting) that helped me survive life,
in general. And, I believe it would surely do you good if you understand these (and
also share it around) sooner than learning
these through trial and error (Ain’t nobody got time for that!)

1. ‘YOUR’ CREATIVITY IS ‘YOUR’ IDENTITY

Everyone has a little bit of creativity and that’s what
makes one different from the other. From the way you approach issues to the way
you solve problems to the way you see the mundane to how you react in a
situation, your creative streak defines your personality. And, in an agency,
your creative ideas will differentiate you from the others. It takes some time
to discover ‘your kind of creativity’; it could be serious, it could be witty,
it could be street-smart, it could be over-the-top but you will surely have to
find it to define your identity. So, when I started working in an ad agency, I realised
that my creativity is different from the person sitting next to me and I
shouldn’t be comparing my ideas with theirs but with my ideas itself. One of my
creative directors often said “You are
only as good as your last ad!” Soon,
people around me saw my ideas as unique and stood by some scripts I wrote even
during times when I doubted myself. My creativity is my identity!

2.YOUR TALENTS HELP YOU RISE ABOVE THE REST

To survive in any industry you need to be good at your job
but to excel in it, you need to be talented. Am sure you’ll agree (If not, give
me a chance to convince you). Especially in advertising, your talents will tell
more about yourself and what you can achieve than what your job description
says you can do. I know a lot of fellow copywriters who draw so well and some
art directors who narrate a script effortlessly and some account managers who
have crazy ideas. I, a copywriter who lives with words, love everything design.
I love a good logo, an interesting painting, an obscure photograph and even the
way a kettle is designed. You’ll find me doodling my ideas on my notepad first before
typing out my script on MS Word. So, I used my other talents and interests to
my advantage in my current role as a copywriter and made a difference in what I
did. When a mere PPT was enough for a client presentation, I made a video. When
there was a jingle in the script, I sang it. When there was no art director for
a last-minute job, I designed the layout. All of this helped me rise above the
rest and be remembered for not just a job well done but a job done excellently!

3. DON’T BURN ANY BRIDGES, YOU’LL NEED THEM LATER

Flare-ups are so common when you have to make a point but
you can’t seem to get the other person to agree. If it’s a game, there’s an
umpire or a referee to point out the problem-areas, but this is life. You need
to be a judge of your actions. I have seen so many ugly fights over briefs and
in meetings but they were never personal (at least, most of them). The same
people were seen sharing a cigarette the next hour or going for lunch the next
day. Am saying, keep the fights, egos and prejudices within ‘workable’ limits
but never burn the bridges. Focus on winning the game than avenging your
opponents. You might want to toss the brief at your client or slam the door on
your creative director or beat the living sh*t out of your lazy art/copy
partner. But hold on, don’t do it just yet! Because, you WILL meet the same
person again in your life and that time you will have to (for some strange
karmic reason) depend on them. So, it will only do you good if you remained in
their good books. Just imagine, your senior colleague in the current agency who you called
names and had an ugly showdown with, turns out to be your creative director in
the next agency! That surely sucks,
doesn’t it? So, hang on to that bridge, even if it’s rickety but never burn it
down, for you’ll have to cross it sooner than you expected!

4. HARDWORK ALWAYS PAYS.

Right now, this seems like a clichéd statement that I took out of a
quotes’ book or found it carved on the stone tablets of time immemorial. But it’s
true, not just in advertising but in life as well. You would have heard your
teacher say it a thousand times or your parents would have nagged you with it
or that stand-up comedian would have boasted about it while making his life
look so effortlessly cool! All said, hardwork IS really the game changer. Be
consistent in what you do and focus on getting better at what you do,
constantly. You may not see the results immediately but you will see it when it
matters the most. (I guess, I kind of made hardwork sound like weight loss). I
am not saying you should die working your a$$ off but it’s ok to break your
back a little but never lose your balance. Anyway, to come to the point: When I
was assigned something, I was dedicated to it and always took it up as my sole
responsibility to see it through from start to finish, by whatever means I
could. I must say, it led to the right people noticing it and in turn, I got
more and more opportunities to rise up and prove my worth, and I can
confidently say that I never disappointed them. Work hard even if no one is
around you. Believe me, someone important is watching your every move. (Didn’t
mean to scare you, but agencies do have CCTVs).

5. THE BEER AND BIRYANI ARE A BRIBE NOT A BONUS

“Ad agencies are such a cool place to work! Parties, booze,
free trips…oh it must always be fun!”
This is a phrase agency folks are tired of hearing and am sure everyone
believes this just like how the glamour of stardom blinds us from seeing the
pain behind it all. Yes, I won’t deny that we have one too many parties a month
to celebrate little triumphs, big victories, birthdays, farewells, nominations,
promotions, pitch-work weekends, intern initiations, late night sessions, just-for-the
fact-that-it’s-Friday sessions, and lots more! (The empty liquor bottle towers adorning
as desk-décor, literally, stand as a proof to that). BUT…behind it all, we have
struggled. We have toiled, we have bruised and we have bled. I, like every
adman/adwoman, will swear by that the parties are really an intoxicating bribe
and are actually distractions from all the pain and dread we go through to
bring out one good ad to life. So, the booze and biryani at the end of a
loooooong hard day is indeed a motivation to push us into yet another week of
deadlines and minefields (Cheers to migraines, acidity and kidney failures!). We
all need some ‘tips’ to carry the luggage of life, even if our job is to be a
bell boy. Take any thrills and pleasures as a mere bribe to do your best in
life but not as a bonus. Choose your booze and biryani of life in limits, indulge
a little to push yourself ahead a little more!

Well, that’s it folks! I have laid out the five truths of
life I have learnt during my time in advertising (as a copywriter. Let’s assume
it may differ if you are a visualizer or an account manager or a producer or an
illustrator). I stuck by, still do, these 5 points in any situation which has
helped me somewhat define my identity, often rise above the rest, always have a
sturdy bridge to cross, count on my hardwork that has so long paid all my bills
and stay on a full stomach with enough booze and biryani to keep me motivated
in life! I hope you find these useful like I did and may you have a use for
these 5 valuable lessons in your life. After all, advertisements mimic life and
we mimic advertisements.